Dover and Deal now above average for superfast speeds

Broadband stats have been released revealing Dover and Deal are above average for superfast speeds. According to official figures published last week, 92.6% homes in the constituency are able to access superfast broadband, compared to 91.4% across the UK.

In Dover and Deal just 2.1% of homes are unable to receive speeds of at least 10 megabytes per second, compared to 3% nationally. These figures are a victory for our campaign to deliver better broadband. We all rely on it so much these days – so everyone should have a right to decent internet. The statistics also reveal just how bad things were for some areas. Almost 40% of people in Lydden and Temple Ewell had slow broadband. That is why I fought a campaign for better broadband for residents last year and I'm pleased they can now connect to the newly installed street cabinet.

This week the Government announced it has delivered on a commitment for 95% of UK to have superfast access by the end of 2017. The £1.7 billion rollout to areas deemed "not commercially viable" by industry has reached more than 4.5 million premises, mostly in rural areas.

Another Government commitment is that by 2020, everyone will have a legal right to broadband. The Digital Economy Act 2017 introduced the idea of a broadband universal service obligation (USO). It will provide a legal right to get a broadband connection of at least 10 Mbps download speed, up to a reasonable cost threshold, currently proposed at £3,400. The USO is expected to be delivered by BT, funded by a cost-sharing industry fund and in place by 2020. Secondary legislation is expected to be laid before Parliament in early 2018.